This invention relates generally to prime movers, such as dynamoelectric machines for instance, and in particular to a switch and terminal assembly adapted to be mounted to such a prime mover.
In the past, various types of switch and terminal assemblies have been mounted to a dynamoelectric machine externally thereof, and such switch and terminal assemblies were operable generally to at least selectively control the winding circuitry of the dynamoelectric machine. In some instances, other auxiliary circuits were connected through these past switch and terminal assemblies and selectively controlled thereby. One such past switch and terminal assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,905 issued to W. A. Zagorski and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,381,197 issued to J. L. Waters et al. Other types of such past switch and terminal assemblies for controlling the winding circuitry of a dynamoelectric machine were mounted internally thereof on terminal boards or the like, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,093 issued to J. Leflar et al. Still another type of such past electrical switches were generally totally enclosed and mounted interiorly of the dynamoelectric machine as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,603,732 issued to M. B. Hinman.
It is desirable, if not necessary in some dynamoelectric machine or electric motor applications, to effect grounding of the dynamoelectric machine, and various and sundry grounding arrangements have been utilized in the past. For instance, a lead-in metallic conduit has been connected in ground circuit relation with a dynamoelectric machine or, in some instances, a conduit or terminal box therefore; however, at least one of the more apparent disadvantageous or undesirable features of this particular grounding arrangement is believed to involve the economics of providing such conduit boxes and metallic lead-in conduits. In another of such past grounding arrangements, a ground wire was run through a lead-in metallic conduit for connection with a component of the dynamoelectric machine, and it is believed that at least one of the disadvantageous or undesirable features of this particular grounding arrangement is generally the same as that discussed above. In some of the resiliently mounted electric motors, another past grounding arrangement included a grounding strap connected between a housing part of the motor and a base therefor with such grounding strap extending across a resilient mount or ring seating such housing part on such base. At least one of the disadvantageous features of this particular past grounding arrangement is believed to be the difficulty in mounting such a grounding strap at least on a production line basis. Of course, there may be many other grounding arrangements in the prior art.
Also in the past switch and terminal assemblies mounted to dynamoelectric machines for controlling at least the winding circuitry thereof, the terminals of such past electrical switches had electrical or terminal connector sections or ends externally of the switch casing. These terminal connector sections were adapted to receive a sleeve or slip-on type quick disconnect or fitting which were provided on the ends of leads for connection in circuit with the electrical switch. In some of the past electrical switches, these terminals were aligned generally in row or tier formation at the opposite ends of the switch, and the terminals were provided with either a single connector section or dual, side-by-side connector sections which were also disposed in aligned row or tier formation, as previously mentioned. At least one of the disadvantageous or undesirable features of such past switch and terminal assemblies is believed to be that in some applications as many as eight to twelve individual leads were connected with the various switch terminals which was, of course, time consuming on a production line basis as well as confusing in the event of repair or replacement in the aftermarket. Another disadvantageous or undesirable feature of the aforementioned past switch and terminal assembly is believed to be that the terminal connector sections were so closely spaced with respect to each other difficulty was encountered when the quick disconnects of the leads were assembled to the terminal connector sections.
In still another of the past switch and terminal assemblies, a casing was provided as an integral part of an electrical circuit, and a metallic connector or strip had one end electrically connected with a wall of the casing exteriorly thereof. The metallic strip was bent over an adjacent wall of the casing, and the opposite end of the strip was received in electrical connection onto a terminal of the casing which extended through the adjacent wall thereof.